8 People On The Purchase That's Given Them The Most Mileage
Back in 1991, I spent $1,100 for a 1976 Toyota Land Cruiser wagon immediately after the owner rolled the vehicle driving on the beach. The body was beaten up, but it was in excellent condition mechanically. Wife and I used it for years to tow an Inboard water ski boat (that we could afford because the truck cost so little), take us on vacations, drive off-road, and otherwise have a blast. I sold it for $1,500, six or seven years later for a profit of $400. It was a low-cost vehicle to maintain. In 1995, I nearly repeated that deal when I spent $8,500 a 1982 Mercedes Benz 300 SD, which I drove for a decade and put 150,000 miles on before selling for over $7,000. It had low maintenance costs and got good mileage for a full-size car. But I think the best purchases have been my cast iron pans/skillets (15", 13.5", 12", 10") and Dutch Ovens. I bought most used, at a garage or an estate sale, although two were from my father who got them from his mother, who got them from her mother . . . Did I say cast iron cookware lasts forever? If bought used, they tend to cost about $15 - $25 each and you will need to scrub them down with a good cleaner like SOS scouring pads, then rinse, dry, and thoroughly season the pans inside and outside 3 - 5 times. Start with a 12", then buy a 13.5, then a medium Dutch Oven. By then you should know what you need. Match these with a 12" high sided stainless steel pan for acidic/tomato sauces, and a large stainless steel pasta/stock pot and you will be able to accomplish 90% of all cooking chores outside of large dinner parties. Appropriately seasoned cast iron is as non-stick as the crappy non-stick pans but will last forever, and if the seasoning is damaged by washing with detergent, or by cooking acidic foods, it is easy to re-season. Maintenance is also simple, wash with hot water and a scrub brush, no soap, no detergent, then dry thoroughly, and apply a thin coat of spray olive oil. If necessary, scrape out any stuck on bits before using the brush and hot water. Will them to your kids. Once you use them, once they use them, it is all they will want to use for most frying and low acidic foods. You are better preparing tomato sauces and other high acid foods in stainless steel. YouTube has many good tutorials on how to prepare used pans, clean, and season. Tonight's meal at Stately Maddog Manor is Spatchcocked Jerk Chicken with rice and black beans (I couldn't find any pigeon peas!), broccoli, and whole grain bread. I might do a salad, wife's favorite, instead of broccoli. The chicken marinates in the Jerk spice all day; then I blacken it in the 13.5" cast iron pan for 10 minutes on each side. I then remove the chicken place 2-cups of rice, a can of black beans, a can of coconut milk, in the bottom of the pan with the Jerk spice bits. I put a wire rack over the top and put the chicken on the rack. The chicken, rice, and beans finish cooking for about 45 minutes at 350˚ on the Traeger. Serve with Rose. Dessert is fresh fruit, and Gorgonzola Dolce, with a light dessert wine. Or Port, I love Port! On second thought, I might just have Port after with a bit of 80% dark chocolate! That's it, that's the ticket.
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